Armand Membou is a shining light in another failed Jets season

The Jets have had a rough season. It began with promise before transitioning to "Jets being Jets," as Minkah Fitzpatrick might say. But there is at least one New York Jets player who is playing like... not a Jet?

Plenty of Darren Mougey draft picks are beginning to seriously pop. Whether it's Omar Cooper Jr. at receiver, Azareye'h Thomas at corner, or Mason Taylor at tight end, the current general manager's drafting is just now rearing its surprisingly attractive head. You could even include David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, and Darrell Jackson Jr. in there too.

But one of his picks is specifically paying serious dividends. And it's likely the pick that you pay the least attention to throughout the game.

Armand Membou is becoming an offensive staple for the New York Jets

As the Jets marinate in bitter misery and mercifully reach the halfway point of the season soon, all fans and media alike can do is look to the bright spots. And a gigantic, 6-foot-4, 330-pound bright spot is standing on the right side of the offensive line on every single offensive snap.

Membou was selected last season out of Missouri with the No. 7 overall pick, which was Mougey's first selection ever as a general manager. A pick that high is wildly valuable capital to spend, and Membou is providing ample return on investment.

Last season was a great start. His rookie campaign saw him finish with a 72.2 Pro Football Focus run-block grade and a 73.8 pass-block grade. For comparison, his run blocking easily bested his more veteran counterpart on the left side, Olu Fashanu. As far as protecting the QB, he finished at a stellar 96.6% PFF pass-blocking efficiency, compared to Fashanu's 94.9.

This season has been a continuation of that development, maintaining the same pass-blocking efficiency while steadily improving his run-blocking each week.

It culminated in Week 8 against Las Vegas with a 75.1 PFF pass-blocking grade on 98.6% efficiency, and an excellent 81.7 run-blocking grade. He allowed just 1 pressure and 1 hurry, with 0 QB hits or sacks. His 80.7 overall grade was good for 6th-best on the entire team and the best of any lineman.

Weeks 1 through 3 were a slog for him, well below the standard he has set for himself in recent weeks, never surpassing a 60 PFF offensive grade. But since Week 4, he's been the player we all know he's capable of being, posting the 4th-best PFF grade among qualified linemen during that span. He trails only a small handful of superstars in Penei Sewell, Trent Williams, and Tristan Wirfs.

There's still a lot of season left. There's plenty of time for Membou to bring our hopes back down to earth. But the pace he's on right now is trending toward a future All-Pro.

Granted, the Raiders' defense currently ranks 30th overall. But their PFF pass-rushing grade ranks 14th. And he wasn't lined up against every ho-hum member of Las Vegas' defense. He was often going up against Max Crosby, a well-known demon on the edge.

So, as the Jets' marination in despair wanes on, keep an eye on the right side of the offensive line. If you focus too much on the defense, the coaching, or other parts of the line, you may be disappointed. But if your eye sticks on Armand Membou, you might get to watch a superstar blossom.

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